Nobita's Time Heist

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing ecstasy in each other's eyes.

"History has been restored to its original state—!!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Unnoticed by them, Sanada Nobushige, riding a fine horse and clad in red armor, led a troop of soldiers out through a side gate.

The deafening shouts of battle echoed beneath the gloomy sky.

The era of the Toyotomi family thus came to an incredibly tragic end.

Chapter 80: The True White Moonlight

"So, in the end, what key role did that jeep play in following us? Wasn't it all solved by your props?" Asur muttered in complaint. "Good heavens, it was like a dog that had smelled a bone, running wildly into my pocket. The rear tires slipped on the ground, splashing mud all over me!"

"Well, well, there's nothing we can do about it. At the time, we thought that having more combat power would provide more security, but who knew the situation would suddenly change..." Nobita could only smile apologetically, "I'll use the [Clothes Changing Camera] to get you a new one."

"Humph!"

For no apparent reason, Asur became sullen, pouting and turning her head to the side before walking away.

"You must be sweating buckets, right?" Shizuka, who had changed into a light red long dress, walked over slowly. She had also adopted the local custom of having a fluffy, finger-wave hairstyle, which looked even darker under the dazzling lights. She had a slightly teasing smile on her face. "I thought that girls your age would definitely have a crush on you."

……

At the end of the story, they didn't stay in Osaka Castle for long. After the complete annihilation of the Scarlet God's familiars, the seal on time and space seemed to be broken, allowing the Time Police to jump over. The remaining remnants, such as the witnessing of the giant's battle with the thunder dragon, the sudden celestial phenomena of wind, rain, and thunder, and the environmental damage caused by the battle, will all be restored as needed.

Like the police in all stories, they arrived late once again. But, like the police in all stories, they cleaned up the mess for the main characters, allowing them to temporarily extricate themselves from this series of interconnected adventures and hold a victory celebration dinner.

History was put back on track, and so the war of 1615 continued.

As promised, Nobita, along with all his companions, arrived in his own year, 1899, to bid a final farewell to Miss Beth.

……

Gian had already recovered his energy and was sprawled on the table, completely lacking any gentlemanly manners, practically embodying the phrase "eat like a glutton." He grabbed anything and stuffed it into his mouth. When they were kids, he and Nobita had a food-eating contest, and he fought Nobita, who had swallowed a "mini black hole," for two rounds before finally losing in the third round after devouring a huge stack of steamed buns and a huge stack of senbei (rice crackers).

As he grew into an adult, his appetite increased dramatically. The way he devoured his food startled the participants, who couldn't help but wonder if he had never been able to eat his fill since birth.

Fortunately, the boy sitting next to him kept an eye on him and only offered him a drink—and even that drink had quite a history.

Although at this moment it was just acquired by Asa Griggs Kahnderle, a trendy beverage transformed from a neuropharmaceutical, only a few people with business acumen like Beth saw its intrinsic value. But soon, it would sweep the world under the name "Coca-Cola," and even become a cultural symbol of America.

However, to everyone at this moment, it was just an extremely sweet drink with a slightly astringent taste. Its main purpose was to allow Suneo to refill Fat Tiger's glass after he finished it in one gulp, so that he wouldn't be left without something to drink and become interested in the expensive wines placed to the side. His alcohol tolerance was only average; when he was half-drunk and in high spirits, he would inevitably burst into song.

If you want this celebration banquet to go smoothly, it's best to avoid this situation.

"...What's wrong, Shizuka?"

Nobita was incredibly perceptive to every subtle change in his beloved's emotions. "Something on your mind?"

“I’m just a little…” Shizuka tried to find the right words to describe her inner thoughts, but she was speechless for a moment. She could only tuck a strand of her black hair behind her ear and smile. “I haven’t gotten over the last adventure yet. If it were before, it might not have taken too long, but somehow, this experience is so vivid and lingering.”

"Perhaps this is the regret of history." She sighed almost imperceptibly, raised her high-class glass with half a cherry in it, and took a small sip. "Knowing the final outcome, but seeing them in person, you still feel sorry for them. You can't help but wonder, if a different method had been used, could a better world have been created?"

……

"Shizuka." After a brief silence, Nobita put down his cup, looked directly into her eyes with great seriousness, and said, word by word, "The final outcome of Osaka Castle was not caused by you."

“I know, I…” Shizuka seemed unsurprised that Nobita could see right through her thoughts. She put down her wine glass and continued to worry. “I saw many people fall in front of me, but I could only watch helplessly. Hideyori suddenly committed seppuku. In that instant, I… I could have done something, but I was so frightened that I couldn’t move.”

"Later, the dragon tore his body apart, unleashing lightning that ravaged the city. I held the magic bag, but couldn't come up with a single idea."

Her brows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of worry, a stark contrast to the jubilant atmosphere of celebration around her.

"But I heard them say that Nobita-kun took down that dragon all by himself in the same situation. In fact, you also took down the Thunder Dragon that Hideyori transformed into. With Nobita's shooting skills, my shot was practically unnecessary, right?"

"No." Nobita shook his head very seriously, emphasizing his words as he repeated, "No, Shizuka."

"Before I arrived, you were already wrestling with the criminal who rewrote history. You gathered intelligence, devised tactics, analyzed clues, and eliminated all possible interference. In the end, he committed suicide, seemingly out of desperation, but in reality, he sacrificed his life to become a dragon. Because there was no warning beforehand, he caught you off guard, that's all."

At this point, Da Xiong seemed to recall something and started laughing foolishly without a care in the world.

"I don't even remember how many messes I made with props when I was a kid, so of course I'm more comfortable using them than you guys. That's all there is to it."

“That’s true… Every time you get into trouble, Doraemon always cleans up after you.” Shizuka also recalled, and once these things were replayed, there was just too much content, it would take more than 2000 episodes to finish. “I remember once, bottle caps suddenly became popular in town, and everyone went crazy opening new beers just to collect a dozen of these things.”

"Another time, strange decorations suddenly became popular on the streets. People would carry a trash can in one hand and wear wooden clogs on one foot when they went out. They would make faces at people they saw."

"Ah!" Shizuka suddenly remembered something, a slight blush rising to her cheeks, and said reproachfully, "Could it be that the trend of skirts getting shorter and shorter is also something you..."

"Um...this..."

Da Xiong suddenly realized that he had accidentally killed the conversation, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat and his tongue became tied.

"You... you've really been like this since you were little... and it was the dead of winter!" Shizuka said irritably. "Do you know how cold a girl's legs get when she wears a miniskirt in winter?!"

"So later on, there wasn't a single girl left on the street," Nobita whispered. "Doraemon and I stood on the street shivering from the cold, looking like two clowns."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the crowd, Miss Beth politely greeted one person after another who came to say hello to her, always standing a few meters away from Nobita.

I watched them silently.

Chapter 81: News about Doraemon?

"Isn't that enough?" Shizuka suddenly said quietly.

"what?"

“No matter the reason, it is not a gentleman's thing to keep a lady waiting, especially… right?” Shizuka winked at the bewildered Nobita, gently took his arm, and gave him a knowing smile, as if she had said a lot, yet also as if she hadn’t said anything at all. “I’m going to get something to eat.”

……

Perhaps it was an unspoken understanding between women, like the handover between dance partners. She temporarily stepped back, and Miss Beth slowly approached and stood beside him. For a moment, neither knew what to say. For a woman intelligent enough to control a town, everything in her heart should have been settled the moment she saw Shizuka. If necessary, she could be very pragmatic in business and politics, pragmatic to the point of being almost flawless.

However, the memory of that stunning sight from my youth still lingers with a dull ache from time to time.

"Shall we go for a walk?" Miss Beth suppressed everything in her heart and, with absolute grace and elegance, took a small sip of her wine.

Since they were destined to part ways, she wanted to leave her best and most mature self in the boy's memory.

"While there's still time."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The evening breeze caressed his face. Although the beast of industrialization was beginning to show its signs, the air was still much fresher than in Nobita's time. He took a deep breath, and the sounds of horses' hooves and trams echoed from the intricate streets, giving him a sense of temporal displacement.

Beth walked ahead, the wind gently swaying her long ponytail, the ends of her hair like the lively tails of small animals, tapping against her slender waist.

"..."

Watching her retreating figure, Nobita wanted to say something. But the words stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered. It seemed he had truly complied with Beth's request, simply going out for a "walk." In all their many late-night talks, he was usually the one offering guidance on others' troubles, but this time, with matters of the heart, he was the one being guided.

"Are you really planning to spend the last hour with me like this?" Miss Beth asked with a hint of reproach. "The Nobita I remember would get incredibly excited as soon as he put on a denim outfit, as if he had endless things to say."

Nobita recalled the first time he touched a real gun and felt the weight of the metal object, and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, "Thinking about it now, it feels like a dream."

Beth turned around and looked at him with her watery blue eyes, her voice as soft as a dream. It sounded like she was asking Nobita, but more like she was asking herself.

"Was it a good dream?"

"Yes, of course." Nobita looked towards the edge of the city, where a stretch of horizon was still visible despite the obstruction of numerous buildings. "It meant a lot to me. At least, after that incident, even in shooting games, I had the courage to argue with Gian. Because I've made up my mind..."

When a man talks about his areas of confidence, even if he doesn't speak eloquently, confidence will inevitably shine through his eyes. Nobita is no exception. In other words, if a child grows up constantly criticized by those around him and can't find anything commendable about himself, then when he discovers his own talent and excels at it, it will undoubtedly leave a deep impression on him.

"Among my peers, no one can shoot faster than me."

In the hazy darkness, the image of the incredibly confident Nobita overlapped with that of the sharpshooter in his memory, wielding dual pistols and taking on multiple opponents on the rooftop. Beth stared at him blankly, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, all vanishing in a blink of an eye.

"Nobita".

"Ok?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you... are from the future, right?"

That one sentence had an effect comparable to a Silencer unleashing a powerful spell, leaving Nobita speechless for a moment. His mind raced, but unfortunately, this wasn't a tense and exciting item battle. After thinking for a long time, he could only come up with one logical conclusion: since she was willing to ask that question, she probably already knew the answer in her heart, so there was no point in making up any more baseless lies.

"What's wrong?" Beth stopped when she saw his troubled expression and asked with concern, "Is this taboo for you? Should I not have asked?"

“It’s not that bad, anyway, it’s not the first time, but…” After weighing the options for a while, Da Xiong gave up and nodded directly, “Just keep it to yourself, don’t tell anyone. The reason I came to 1899 this time is actually quite complicated.”

……

Whatever they talked about, at least they had something to talk about—that was her thought for the first few seconds. Years of social experience had taught her that boys always liked to tell heroic stories with themselves as the protagonist, such as how they single-handedly hunted a bear, a wild boar, a coyote, or some other unfortunate animal when they were teenagers.

In short, to Beth, who already harbored feelings for her ideal woman, these stories sounded utterly vulgar. Out of various social obligations, she would always put on a show of patient listening, nodding frequently, and asking one or two small questions that would excite them to the point of oblivion. For her now, doing this was practically muscle memory; it didn't require any thought.

The only exception was the boy in front of me. When he was listening attentively, he didn't make many physical movements.

But as Beth listened, her expression gradually became strange.

Nobita begins his story by recounting how the world changed after he woke up one morning. He then talks about how the Time Police framed him, Columbus's great voyage, and how behind this conspiracy, a massive time-traveling heist is unfolding, targeting the future of all humanity, regardless of time or place.

Perception determines altitude.

After learning the secret of time and space, Beth suddenly felt that everything she had fought for in her life was too insignificant and too trivial.

"Ah……"

"What's wrong?" Nobita asked. "Is it a bit complicated?"

“No, I just… before this, I always wanted to understand your world. No matter what you did, I hoped to help you, even if it was just a little bit,” Beth said softly. “Now that I really understand everything, I realize how presumptuous I was.”

“I haven’t fully figured it out yet, but I know that what you’re doing is a miracle no less than Moses parting the sea. You’re going to save humanity invisibly, without leaving a trace.”

"Don't say that, you've already helped me a lot."

Da Xiong said with a smile, "If you hadn't been willing to take Arthur and the others in, I don't know how things would have ended up."

"In the long river of history, everyone plays an indispensable role. Do what you should do, and if you have the ability, help those in distress as much as possible."

Warm lights shone from every house, and in this beautiful yet cruel world, Nobita sighed from the bottom of his heart.

"For me, it is enough to know that there was such a great friend in history."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

This dreamlike journey through the West has now come to a perfect end.

However, before the curtain falls completely...

……

"Nobita, I think I vaguely remember the 'Doraemon' you just mentioned... It's all blue, round, and then... um..."

"If you really can't describe it, then forget it." Seeing her stammering, Da Xiong guessed that she couldn't find the right words for the moment, and chuckled, "Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed a bit abstract for someone meeting him for the first time."

“Yes, that’s not the point,” Miss Beth said seriously. “The point is that I received this message almost right before I set off.”

Nobita's expression suddenly changed.

After wandering around outside for a while, and seeing that he was heading towards the Scarlet God and the Apairon Foundation, Nobita didn't expect to get any news about Doraemon here.

In the end, it may be that the flowers you plant with care do not bloom, while the willows you plant without intention thrive.

"Back in New Austin, it seems a miner witnessed an unidentified creature that fits the description, causing quite a stir in the area. But I had other things to do at the time, and New Austin is quite a distance from Morocco, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

"Thank you, Beth!" Nobita forced down his excitement. "This is very important to me!"

Chapter 82: You're asking for it!

Is Doraemon living in the same era as us?

Under the tense gazes of the four, the X-shaped mold rose, signifying a negative answer. Nobita's eyes revealed barely concealed disappointment, yet he also seemed inexplicably relieved. Since the answer was negative, it meant that Miss Beth's information was inaccurate; at least, at this moment, Doraemon wasn't here.

Perhaps what the miner saw was another unidentified species with a blue appearance and a round body... That was the only way he could comfort himself.

Did Doraemon ever visit New Austin in 1899?

Then, this time, the O symbol, representing affirmation, slowly floated up.

"..."

Everyone fell silent; the room was eerily quiet.

I have indeed been there.

With a trembling voice, Nobita continued, "Then, was Doraemon the mastermind behind the Scarlet God's Kin's rebellions in 1899 and 1615?"

A few seconds of waiting felt like centuries.

Only when O fell and X rose did they all breathe a sigh of relief, as if they had regained their right to breathe.

"See, I told you, Doraemon wouldn't do something like that," Suneo said with a grin. "It's totally possible it's sightseeing. Maybe our summer or winter vacation homework in the 22nd century is to go to the American West and experience firsthand the impact of industrial civilization on modern American culture? Come to think of it, Doraemon has taken us to do things like that quite a few times before, right?"

He said confidently, "This is a miraculous tool that saved my life. The result it gives should be 100% guaranteed!"